Fundraising and engaging your donor community in a crisis

Lara Pickering

Director of Philanthropy and Stakeholder Engagement

Fundraising and engaging your donor community

IN A CRISIS

2020 has been an unsettling year for all. We started the year with bushfires like we’ve never seen before and, by the end of March, the world was in the hold of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, what does this all mean for fundraising and community engagement, and what are some of the things we can do to ensure we retain relationships and our reputation for being a cause worth supporting?

1. Reframe your donor strategy

Schools have a complex task to navigate during difficult times. They need to demonstrate they are strong, caring, resilient institutions. Although they are being financially tested, they need to demonstrate that they are still viable, making them good choices for education (McDiarmid 2020). While all of these messages are being communicated, they also need to demonstrate they are a legitimate destination for philanthropic investment. Many schools have decided to put their fundraising plans on hold for the year in light of COVID; however, at times of disaster, donors tend to expand their giving to give something extra to the immediate crisis, as well as support their usual causes (F&P Magazine, Feb Mar 2020). While their capacity may be altered, we need to look at appropriate ways of keeping the habit of giving. Momentum lost in fundraising is not easily regained, so it’s vital we reframe our donor strategy. It’s important to remember our school community needs us and our cause is still worthy of support. While a time like this may not be the time to launch a new Bequest Society or major Capital Campaign, there may be a lot to be said for a well-timed and respectful Annual Appeal that focuses on the part of our community that needs the support most. Some families within our school community have had their employment or businesses affected by COVID-19, resulting in financial difficulty. These things can and will have an impact on their daughters being able to continue their education at St Margaret’s. Therefore, asking those in our community who can help contribute to bursaries for affected families is an excellent example of how we can keep the habit of giving alive in a meaningful way throughout this time.

2. Donor relations is key

As COVID-19 sees many of us slowing down and taking stock, our concerns are on our fundamental values: health, family, education and community. While our donors may have concerns, or be preoccupied with issues pertaining to these, there is a positive. Due to the pandemic, our donors and members of our school community are travelling less and have time to talk. Despite not being able to meet face to face, this presents an opportunity for us to engage with our donors in a way we have not before. Along with providing an opportunity to ask our biggest supporters for their advice on what sort of programs would have the most impact, or how our request for support may be received, it also presents an opportunity to strengthen the relationship between the school and our donors by simply checking in to see how they are coping. As we start to see restrictions easing and our community reestablishing their lives and business, people will be looking to larger institutions within our society to gauge what is the new normal. They will remember how our organisation handled the crisis period, how we adapted and how we demonstrated care for others. Our donors will remember those who simply called

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to see if they were okay. And our broader school community will reflect on how the school communicated and stayed connected with them during this time of uncertainty, whether it was regular updates from the Principal, their daughter’s teachers providing additional learning support materials, or a staff member in boarding being there to take their call.

3. Promote stories of care

In times of crisis, schools need to demonstrate to their communities that they are caring and creative (McDiarmid 2020). Many great things have been achieved by the St Margaret’s community coming together to support one another in times of need. The annual student-led Ponytail Project, our recent Giving Day and the many other philanthropic activities championed for a whole host of community-based charities and causes have benefited people in need locally and globally. Throughout the pandemic we have seen our students refocus their philanthropic efforts towards what they can do for those in our broader community. Our Year 5s are already global, philanthropically concerned citizens. A large group of them galvanised and planned a family movie night (prior to COVID-19 restrictions) to raise funds to pass onto those researching the COVID-19 vaccine. They firstly wrote to UQ researchers asking if this would be useful and are set to be the faces of the UQ fundraising appeal for this cause. St Margaret's staff have also been looking at ways that they can assist our community with the catering team having delivered 50 free meals to the critical care nurses at the Royal Brisbane Women’s Hospital. One of their staff in our community had been enjoying the home-cooked offerings the team had been serving up over the holidays and the school decided we could do a little something for those working on the front line. We’ve also seen our past students’ efforts highlighted in the news, with Ella Beutner ('16) profiled in The Courier Mail helping the vulnerable in the community through volunteering for Brisbane’s Care Army. It is imperative that we tell the stories of those within our school community (students, alumni and staff) living our organisational values to help others.

References

Adapting your ask: Development and community engagement strategies in a crisis 2020, Live webinar, Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia, accessed 6 May 2020, https://www.agsa.org.au/resources/ F&P Magazine, Edition #84, Feb Mar 2020, ‘Will Bushfire Giving Affect the Fundraising of non-Bushfire related causes?’ pp. 10-13. SUNATA 37